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Loading...Workers’ Rights and Food Justice
- Sarah Cooke
- October 16, 2011
- 8:03 am
- 39 comments
As an intern with the food justice organization People’s Grocery in Oakland, California, I attend regular discussion groups with the other interns, in which we examine various issues of importance to the food movement. Yesterday’s discussion was fascinating.
The conversation centered around an article we had read describing the institutional racism inherent in the food production system in the United States. At every level of production – from picking the fruits and vegetables to serving customers at a restaurant – white people consistently make more money and work as managers more often than anyone else. And not because they have more experience. Clearly, this demonstrates how far we still need to go in this country before we’re actually walking the walk of equality.
Furthermore, it is a significant issue because it shows those of us interested in food justice that the movement is not only about the consumption side – increasing access to local, organic food, for example. It is also about ensuring fair treatment for workers on the production side. Industrial farms and food processing plants don’t only hurt animals and pollute or damage the earth. They don’t only result in food-like products that lack nutritional value and make us ill. They also exploit the workers, who are paid very little to perform jobs that can be quite dangerous, such as working with industrial machinery.
At its heart, the food justice movement is about achieving a food system that nourishes us and does not exploit people or resources. It is about creating a food system that is healthy, fair, and sustainable. Therefore, solidarity with movements to improve workers’ rights is a crucial aspect of the food justice movement, but one that is often overlooked.
Related:
Local Eating and Connecting With the Earth
Friends, Family, and Community
Do You Live in a Food Desert?
Read more: Community, Community Service, Conscious Consumer, Diet & Nutrition, Do Good, Food, Green, Health, Life, Nature, News & Issues, food justice, internships, workers rights
Sarah Cooke
Sarah Cooke is a writer living in California. She is interested in organic food and green living. Sarah holds an M.F.A. in Creative Writing from Naropa University, an M.A. in Humanities from NYU, and a B.A. in Political Science from Loyola Marymount University. She has written for a number of publications, and she studied Pastry Arts at the Institute for Culinary Education. Her interests include running, yoga, baking, and poetry. Read more on her blog.
Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may
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people are talking
Niestety nie znam daty urodzin moich zwierzaków, pies i 2 koty są ze schroniska.
Are you kidding?? I do everything possible to AVOID struggle ~ it's a good way to live.
When all is said and done "Moderation" will have killed more people than all the second hand smoke p…
good to know
What beautiful, graceful creatures. I wonder if there is any way to save them.
39 comments
+ add your ownThanks.
Thanks for the article.
societal change is often slower than we'd prefer--no one gives up power gladly
Thank you
thanks for sharing this
Good article, thanks.
thanks for sharing
why is this so?I see many ethnic people working in our food industry here & their advice is invaluable if you want to try a different veggie or fruit instead of normal.Thats how I discovere lychees, bok choy,okra & many others.
THANKS FOR THE INFO!
Thanks for the article, casual accusations?...Please.
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